Meanwhile,
Back at the Ranch
According to many beliefs and many cultures when we cross over we’re allowed to enter a place of joy—the so-called “happy hunting ground” of the Native Americans, for example—Christians have Heaven, Buddhists have Nirvana, and so on. Most people who have passed on had a time, at least a moment, that was for them the happiest time of their lives. That time could be described as “Heaven on Earth.” We wondered often if it was possible that someone’s “heavenly reward” could be a return to that happy time. In other words, when a person becomes a spirit, are there options?
The exterior of the 96 Ranch ruin.
Dwight and Rhonda outside of the 96 Ranch.
Dan recording EVPs inside the 96 Ranch.
Apparently so. We encountered proof of this somewhat surprising fact on a visit to the 96 Ranch ruin not too far from Florence, Arizona. The property currently has two standing houses (one adobe and one wooden), a large barn, a storage shelter the locals have named “the bomb shelter,” a windmill, water tanks, ruined buildings, corrals, and a large barn. Right in the middle of the site is a gray slab of rock sticking only a few inches above the earth. Several grinding holes used by Native Americans were carved into the stone, so obviously the ranch site has been occupied for hundreds and perhaps thousands of years. Our attempts to make contact with the Native Americans were unsuccessful. But the story was quite different when we conducted a session in the nearby barn.
The barn grabbed our attention the minute we entered. Dwight immediately heard faint music. He said it sounded like dance music. Rhonda instantly knew that multiple spirits were around us. The feeling was happy and very upbeat she said. A large, concrete floor was lined with bench seats, which seemed to indicate that the area was used at some times for meetings and get-togethers. As we discovered later, one of those get-togethers was a marriage ceremony, probably followed by a dance and celebration.
After the session we returned to our respective homes and listened to the recordings we had made. One definite EVP proved to be the sound of footsteps. The exploration of the 96 Ranch also proved the value in having multiple witnesses and of double-checking psychic information. That’s especially true for EVPs. For example, a review of my recording led me to believe I had captured a very emotional response from a male voice responding to a comment about the happiest moment in a spirit’s life on the earthly plane (see following transcript). I could swear I heard “this was my father.” When Dwight and Rhonda played the recording on their much more sophisticated audio equipment, they identified the voice as mine saying I had “goose bumps all over.” This was disappointing in the sense of not capturing an EVP, but gratifying in that we would not be creating a false contact during research for this book.
The understandable desire to capture a legitimate EVP can easily lead a listener into hearing something that isn’t really there. The effect can be compared to seeing familiar objects, persons, or creatures in the shapes formed by clouds. A significant number of probable EVPs were considered for this book, but were ultimately rejected because they fit into the “we’re just not 100 percent sure” category.
We sat down on the benches lining the barn and began our session with questions related to the music Dwight was hearing.
D: If there’s anybody here who remembers this place as a dance hall or meeting place let us know what your name is and … what’s your favorite song here? This might have been somebody’s first kiss or first dance.
You know, I just got a feeling … Is there anybody here who got married here?
DB: I think you may have hit on something there.
D: I’m seeing and feeling a wedding situation here.
DB: I got kind of an emotional twinge … a pleasant twinge.
I’m going to place the recorder down … mic down … and get my pendulum out.
Was there ever a wedding held here?
Definitely yes. You nailed it.
D: That’s the feeling I get. Somebody’s out here with an extremely emotional bond.
DB: Yep. Big strong yes.
Was the wedding held after 1930? Yes.
Was it held after 1940? No.
In the thirties. Was it held in 1935? Just before the war.
D: I was just going to say that’s just before the war.
That’s kinda’ funny because the picture I got was not a “tux ‘n tails” kind of wedding. You wear your best Sunday dress.
DB: Your “Sunday go to meeting” clothes.
D: I’m seeing the groom in a brown, kind of a brown suit jacket, but with workpants on. Not really dress pants, but workpants, a white shirt, a black string tie-like is what I’m seeing. I don’t see a female, but I see the male.
DB: Was the male who was married a cowhand?
No.
Did the male who was married work at the 96 Ranch?
Yep.
D: To the male who was married, were you related to the people who owned the 96 Ranch?
DB: That’s a yes.
D: That’s what I thought. I think he’s the son of the father … that’s what I’m seeing.
DB: I’m getting a swinging yes … to your question.
D: If we are talking to the male who got married here, can you tell us your name real quick? I’ve got a little box here. It’s a recorder. It’ll record your voice if you come right up to it, come up to us and talk real loud, we can probably hear your voice. If you can tell me your name because I don’t like saying “the male” all the time.
R: Tell us what your bride’s name is.
D: I’m getting a real strong feeling that this groom went to war and didn’t come back.
DB: Did the groom, whatever your name is, fight in World War II? Were you killed in World War II?
That’s a yes.
D: That’s what I thought. That’s what I got.
DB: Were you killed fighting in World War II?
That’s a yes.
Were you killed overseas?
Yes.
Were you in the European theater?
That’s a no.
Did you fight in the Pacific war theater?
Yes.
R: I’m getting a beach … killed on a beach.
DB: I’m getting a marine.
D: I think he came back here after because this was—
DB: Probably the last happiest moment of his life.
D: Yes.
R: Ask if his wife’s name starts with an “E.”
DB: I’m speaking to the groom, did your wife … did her first name begin with an “E?”
It was going yes even before I finished the question.
R: Because I’m actually seeing her now.
DB: What does she look like?
R: She’s about five-seven, five-eight with shoulder-length brown hair, curls. I think she wore a blue dress to the wedding. That’s what I’m seeing. I think her name was Evelyn or Evie.
DB: Is Rhonda’s description of the bride—
Yes.
Was her name Evie?
No.
Was her name Emily?
I’m getting a yes.
Jumpy pendulum. Lots of energy here.
This was probably his last happy, totally happy memory.
D: Yes. Probably one of the last gatherings before—
R: Big gathering.
D: Signed up. Got married and after that, a few years after that he obviously got shipped off.
DB: They all knew war was coming.
I’m going to end my session.
Regardless of the images and tales told in movies and television, not all so-called haunted houses are filled with demonic and vengeful spirits bent on the terror and destruction of innocents. On the contrary, some haunted houses (or barns) are places of great joy and are filled with happy people having the time of their many lives. Prior to the investigations conducted for this book we would have believed that the marine’s spirit, if still earthbound, would have been stuck on that island in the Pacific. He died there tragically and possibly in great shock and pain. Our culture has created the image of ghosts trapped in the place where they died—eternally doomed to relive the last moments of their lives. That is true for some spirits, but for others, like the song says, “It ain’t necessarily so.”
This marine had or was given the choice to return to the earthly plane and that’s where he jumped. Instead of reliving a terrible death, he was reliving the happiest moment of his life. He’s forever surrounded by friends and family and constantly dancing with the love of his life. Obviously, we didn’t attempt to release a spirit who was enjoying such a happy afterlife.
And the dance goes on.
The EVPs
D: I’m seeing the groom in a brown, kind of a brown suit jacket, but with workpants on. Not really dress pants, but workpants, a white shirt, a black string tie-like is what I’m seeing. I don’t see a female, but I see the male.
EVP: (Sound of boots with spurs walking across the floor)
To listen to the EVPs go to:
www.beelieveparanormal.com/our-book.html